A Look at Reading with Friends 2023
In June, FUMC hosted Reading with Friends for its third year. Reading with Friends is a four-week summer reading program for students first through fifth grade that aims to build self-confidence and self-awareness through one-on-one literacy engagement, creative art, recreational activities, and Bible study. Many of the children who attend the program are from Booker T. Washington Elementary, the church’s Partner In Education (PIE). Church staff, volunteers, and college interns enjoyed engaging with these local children and bonding over a love of the written word.
Sarah Pellikan began the Reading with Friends program in 2021. She was inspired by Project Transformation, a similar program that has chapters across the nation. Project Transformation provides leadership development and ministry exploration experiences for college-age young adults and connects with churches in underserved communities to help them build relationships with their neighbors. They invest in children through programs with a focus on literacy and spiritual development. After participating in Project Transformation throughout college, Sarah recognized the need for a similar program within our community. She took action and created Reading with Friends – all within her first year of teaching!
Now that Reading with Friends has finished its third year, Sarah reflects on how the program went, noticing some things that were different than previous years. “One big change we made this year is adding a permanent library to the church,” she explained. “Julia Lamberth came to me with the idea of creating a children’s library that would be hosted by the church year-round. We are so excited to have something that will last!” She was also able to enjoy seeing familiar faces, stating that her “favorite part from Reading with Friends 2023 was seeing kids who have come since the first summer, seeing kids from the first summer (2021) who weren’t able to come last year come back again, and meeting new participants.” Best of all, she was “blown away by the support from the parents and families of the kids who participated. They were so grateful for all we had done and it was great to see how it impacted not just the kids, but their whole family.” Sarah was so glad that “more and more people from the community are starting to hear about this program.”
Now, Sarah looks to the future:
“My hope is that we can keep the program going. It is a lot of work, but I hope we can continue making connections in the community to grow and support Reading with Friends. I really would like for this to not just be a Sarah Pellikan project or even a FUMC Wichita Falls project, but a true community project. Reading is not something we just do at school, but something that will continue and last us a lifetime. I want to thank the many volunteers who donated, or came and read at Reading with Friends. I really enjoyed getting to know volunteers who came faithfully throughout the month. The biggest impact this program has on the students is that they see encouraging volunteers who see the importance of reading. Hopefully, through Reading with Friends, students realize that reading is not just something they do for school or to learn, but a way to connect with others and build community.”
Immediately following worship on Sunday, August 27, join FUMC for a dedication of the new Children’s Library in Rec. Lobby. Thank you to all who donated to the new Children’s Library during our Book Drive in the Spring!